Temple Kol Emeth To Host Noshfest

Temple Kol Emeth has announced it will host Noshfest on September 3 and 4. The event will be held in the parking lot of the temple at 1415 Old Canton Road in Marietta.

Noshfest enters its seventh year celebrating Jewish food and culture by showcasing delicacies and activities unique to the Jewish heritage and bringing together members of Cobb County’s diverse community in a fun two-day festival. Enjoy delicious food from around the world and browse booths of interesting and unique crafts and goods. Learn about the Jewish culture through interactive exhibits and tour the sanctuary with a member of the ritual committee.

There are events for children, including a kids zone complete with inflatables, games and face painting. There will also be a petting zoo with a camel. Enjoy special entertainment featuring cooking demonstrations, dancing and live music throughout both days.

Noshfest will also feature a Krav Maga (Israeli martial arts) demonstration and cooking demonstrations. Admission for the event is two canned goods per family. All food collected at admission will go to MUST Ministry’s effort to feed the hungry in Atlanta.

Hours of the festival are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, September 3 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, September 4.

WellStar Awards Nurses 
in Cobb for Excellence

Nurses play a critical role in helping patients heal, both physically and emotionally. Across WellStar Health System, nurses are at the center of the not-for-profit’s mission to deliver world-class health care to patients. Nurses and physicians from WellStar Cobb, Kennestone and Windy Hill hospitals who work to elevate the field of nursing were recently recognized at WellStar’s annual Excellence in Nursing award ceremony.

“As nurses, we’re privileged to work in one of the greatest professions,” Jill Case-Wirth, chief nurse executive for WellStar Health System, says. “Nurses are given the opportunity to serve and impact others on a daily basis. Our focus on nurses helps us deliver compassionate care that puts patients first and makes a real impact on their lives.”

The awards spanned five categories and nurses and physicians who actively support the nursing profession were recognized, including:

  • WellStar Kennestone Hospital: Jennifer Vogel, RN; Aven Jackson; Medina Franzen, RN; Jayne Petefish, RN; Shae Evans, M.D.
  • WellStar Cobb Hospital: Amy Rhoades, RN; Elma Okogba, RN; Debbie O’Steen, RN; Elizabeth Peters, RN; Mrunalee Mehta, M.D.
  • WellStar Windy Hill Hospital: Lissa Watson, RN; Tammy Sylvester, RN; Jan Turner, RN; Denise Lindhardt, RN; Anedi Eme-Akwari, M.D.
  • WellStar Health System: Cindy Newman, RN

During the ceremony, a total of 54 nurses and physicians spanning WellStar Health System were recognized.

For more information on WellStar, visit .

Smyrna Rookie Blue All-Star Team Wins State Championship

For the second time in three years, Smyrna Little League’s Rookie Blue All-Star team has been crowned state champions. The Smyrna team won the title game, played on Father’s Day, with a final score of 8-2 over an all-star team from Warner Robins.

Smyrna’s 2017 Rookie Blue All-Star team, managed by Chuck Martin, shut down Warner Robins early with near-flawless pitching and aggressive baserunning. After the first inning, the Warner Robins club had only two runners reach first base—one on a hard-hit single and one on a walk. Pitcher Hayes Stephens, who struck out 11 in his five innings of work, and closing pitcher Luke Linder, kept the Warner Robins bats, and fans, quiet for most of the afternoon.

For Smyrna, base hits from Jackson Martin, Hayes Stephens and William Backus proved more than enough. Smyrna catcher Landon Ryan’s laser-beam throw to second base for the third out in the fifth inning all but sealed the win. Smyrna broke it open in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs and putting the game out of reach. Warner Robins failed to score in the sixth and final inning, allowing home team Smyrna Blue to celebrate early in front of a rowdy crowd and the hundreds of friends and family members who watched the game via webcast.

“Pitching was the big difference today,” Martin says. “It was really fun to watch our boys execute at such a high level given the stage they were on.”

On Saturday, the first day of tournament play, Smyrna lost game one to Warner Robins, putting themselves in a must-win situation against Oconee County for game two that afternoon. Pitchers Jackson Martin and Landon Ryan were able to hold off the Oconee club just enough, and a grand slam by Andrew Biggers in the fourth inning pushed the game out of reach. With a final score of 11-6, Smyrna was set to face Warner Robins in a rematch in Sunday’s title game.

“Baseball is a lot like life in that you face adversity and how you measure your progress is how you respond in the moment,” Martin says. “We dug a hole on Saturday morning with our first loss as a team, but instead of feeling sorry for ourselves or giving up we decided to give it our best shot and see if that was good enough. Fortunately for us, we were able to seize momentum and advance to the title game.”

Sunday’s state championship game was held in the world-class Little League Southeast Park, which features a 2,500-seat stadium bowl, two-story press box and sunken dugouts. The Smyrna players enjoyed every minute of their time in the elite facility, and hope to make a return trip in 2018.

“We are proud of all of Smyrna’s all-star teams and are thrilled with the 8U Rookies for how they persevered to win the state championship title,” Heather O’Tuel, President of Smyrna Little League, says. “These players and coaches did an excellent job representing Smyrna and Smyrna Little League.”

The Smyrna Rookie Blue All-Stars beat a team from Rockmart in the sectionals tournament championship game, hosted by Smyrna on June 9, to advance to the state championship tournament in Warner Robins with a perfect 9-0 record.

Members of the 2017 Smyrna Blue Rookie All-Stars are:

  • Asher Adams
  • JD Aufderheide
  • William Backus
  • Andrew Biggers
  • Luke Darsey
  • Cameron Denis
  • Luke Linder
  • Jackson Martin
  • Cayden Moran
  • John Paolino
  • Landon Ryan
  • Hayes Stephens
  • Chuck Martin, manager
  • Brian Stephens, assistant coach
  • Davis Linder, assistant coach
  • Corbin Adams, assistant coach

The Georgia State Little League Association created the Rookie Baseball Tournament in 2013. The tournament is limited to league age 7- and 8-year-olds. Previous winners include Warner Robins (2013, 2014), Smyrna Blue (2015) and Martinez-Evans (2016).